Matting.



No. 746,722. PATENTED DEC. 15, 1903.

E. P. MAHLBR.

MATTING.

APPLIUATION FILED MAR. v. 1902.

N0 MODEL.

I I! I' l] I I I v II I v II r h I II ii I ' I I I .I I| 4L II I I I: II

WA 5 A W 1:

WITNESSES: INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

THE -unms vrIYEn! co, Pm-To-urun, wasmNr-Tvm n. c

UNITED STATES PATENT I lPatentd ilecrhber 15, 1903;

MATTlNG.

FPE CIFIGATI ON forming part of Letters Patent No. 746,722, dated December 15, 1903. Application filed March 7, 1902. Serial No. 97,179. (No model) To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ELLA P. MAHLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark,

in the county of Essex and State of New Jer sey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Matting; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and

exact description of the invention, such as will enable others'skilied inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying draw.- ings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The object of this invention is to secure greater durability, combined with efficiency of service, noiselessness when trod upon, and

convenience in rolling up for removal pre-.

forth, and finally embraced in the clauses of i the claim.

7 said sections are joined together.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

in which like letters of reference indicate cor-- responding parts in each of the several figures, Figure 1 is a plan of myimproved mat. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same, and Fig. 3 is a section taken at linear of Fig.1.

In said drawings, a a a indicate a series of block-like sections consisting, preferably, of

cushions made of rubber or a composition containing rubber. These are preferably flat and oblong in plan and at their opposite ends are perforated to receive the means by which At the opposite sides of said blocks are arranged metallic plates 1) b, which are each perforated at or near their opposite ends, the perforations coinciding with the perforat'ions'in the block'- like sections. Said plates serve not only to protect the block-like sections from wear at the edges, but as scrapers in removing the dirt adhering to the shoes and as links, providing tensile strength, so that when the mat is being rolled or when pulled from opposite ends the draft thereon will notbe. taken by" the cushions or blocks a lacking in tensile strength, but by saidlinks. The blocks or sections a are arranged in series, the blocks and their linksor scraper-plates b of one series overlapping the blocks and links of the next series in order, the perforations of the two overlapping series of blocks'and links coinciding, so that the bolt or connecting-rod d maypass therethrough to bind or join the two said series, as indicated in Fig. 1. This arrangement of blocks, plates, and connections is repeated to secure .the desired area or size of mat. At the opposite longitudinal edges of the mat the same is provided with a series of border-plates (1, so that no recesses of material depth are formed at said edges, and the opposite end edges of the mat are provided between the blocks or cushions a, a with short blocks or cushioned a, which are perforated to receive the connecting-rods d and serve, with the blocks a, to give a smooth finish to the ends.

While ordinarily I prefer rubber or composition blocks, I can, to advantageously meet particular conditions, employ blocks of other material, such as wood, compressed fiber, burnt clay, &c.; but to secure the noiseless and cushion-like effect I desire ordinarily greater elasticity, such as rubber afliords.

After the connecting of the several series of block-like sections, link-plates, and rods the parts are held securely together by forming suitable heads 6 at the ends of said rods either by using the nuts or by upsetting the rod metal in any suitable manner.

The sections a and plates 1) being pivotally arranged on the connecting-rods the said sections and plates permit of the mat being rolled into a form convenient for transportation.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is- I y l. The improved mat comprising series 0 cushion-like blocks, rods, and metallic plates distributed through the mat andextending from rod to rod to guard the said cushion-like blocks from tensile strain, substantially as set forth.

2. The improved mat comprising series of cushion-like blocks, rods connecting the same and pivotally holding the one series in connection with the next series and metallic plates pivotally arranged on said rods at various points between said blocks to take the tensile strain from said blocks, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of the blocks a,scraperplates disposed on opposite sides of said blocks a, and rods d, connecting said blocks and scraper-plates, substantially as set forth.

4. The improved mat, comprising elastic blocks,scraper-plates and con meeting-rods extending through said blocks and scraperplates, substantially as set forth.

5. The improved mat, comprising flat elastic blocks oblong in plan and perforated at opposite ends, metal link-plates having perforations coinciding With those in the elastic blocks, connecting-rods extending through both the blocks and the metal link-plates and series of border plates, all arranged and adapted to operate, substantially as set forth.

6. A floormat, consisting of blocks arranged in courses having openings alternate with said blocks, said blocks having bores at their ends and arranged with the bores in alinement, rods passing through said bores, riveting-platesconnected endwise on the ends of said rods and overlapping the entire side edges of said mat, the ends of said rods be ing riveted against said riveting-plates, filling-pieces at the end edges of the mat arranged on the end rods, and auxiliary rods passing through the filling-pieces and adjacent blocks, said auxiliary rods being riveted at their ends on said riveting-plates, substantially as set forth.

7. A floor-mat, consisting of a plurality of sections joinedrigidly together, said sections composed of blocks arranged in courses having openings alternately arranged With the blocks, said blocks having bores at their ends disposed in alinement, rods passing through said bores of the blocks of the sections, intermediate plates connected endwise each with another on the ends of said rods and arranged between the sections, riveting-plates connected endwise on the ends of said rods and overlapping the entire side edges of said mat, the ends of said rods being riveted against said riveting-plates, filling-pieces at the end edges of the matarranged on the end rods, and auxiliary rods passing through the filling-pieces and adjacent blocks, said auxiliary rods being riveted at their ends on said rivetingplates, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 4th day of March, 1902.

ELLA P. MAHLER. Witnesses:

CHARLES H. PELL, RUssELL M. EVERETT. 

